SHILLONG: Political parties supporting the MDA government have proposed a few names to be chosen as the candidate of the MDA to contest the lone Rajya Sabha seat.
The election is scheduled to be held on March 26.
Admitting this, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that whatever the case may be, the MDA will be united and only one candidate will contest the election.
In order to facilitate talks and to reach a consensus, the MDA has decided to constitute a sub-committee under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong. Names proposed by the parties, however, were not shared by the chief minister.
The sub-committee will have UDP president and leaders of other parties like BJP, HSPDP, PDF and independent MLAs and the sub-committee will meet on Monday to discuss about the candidate.
Sangma said that a few names were proposed in the MDA meeting and different names were also discussed and now the political parties will also discuss the matter in their individual meetings following which the sub-committee will take a call on the matter.
The MDA had adopted a similar yardstick during the election of the Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly following the demise of Donkupar Roy.
“This reflects the kind of participatory democracy and coalition governance which we have and we ensure that every voice is heard,” Sangma said.
As per sources, the NPP wants its state president, WR Kharlukhi to contest the election but former Congress leader John Kharshiing has also expressed his interest to contest the seat as an MDA nominee.
The term of the present Rajya Sabha member, Wansuk Syiem (Congress) ends on April 12.
The Congress is yet to take a decision on the candidate.
